In this video interview from NAB last week, Gil Gowing (a regular on the DUC) demonstrates a small film mix stage (or large TV mix stage) using a variety of recent technologies including:

Multiple machine/layer control on D|Control ES

Satellite Link – locking 3 HD rigs together

Video Satellite with Avid Media Composer 3.5 for HD picture playback

Neyrinck’s VMon monitoring plug in solution with hardware controller

Various ICON Shelf products

NAB2009 ICON for Post demonstration by Gil Gowing

I’d love to know how many of you out there have seen configurations like this and how you find them in working environments? Comments always welcome!

The idea of stem mixing is as old as film sound, but in recent years its taken off in the music industry to the point where mastering engineers are often being supplied with stems (or requesting them) instead of the traditional 2-track.

If you adopt a stem based workflow, one of the most effective ways of saving time is setting up a mixing template.

In ProTools that may consist of two parts, both a *.ptf file (write protected/stationary pad) and an io Setup file – so your busses are labelled the way you like and your outputs are set up for either stereo or 5.1 mixing. Be sure to keep a backup of these files somewhere safe!

Going down the path of setting up your ptf file, if you adopt a template there are two killer features you should be using, markers and window configs…

Picture this: you are mixing the project, diving down, working on backing vox or ambience tracks or SFX or the drum kit and you want to change the overall balance of your stems. So what do you do? You simply hit “.”, “2″, “.” to recall memory locate 2 and what happens?

Potentially, all of this: in the edit window, the track list gets hidden, the region bin closes, the io view and inserts views disappear, all your tracks disappear except the buss masters, in volume view, which blow up to take up a quarter of the window each (red lines drawing as you mix in latch mode), on the right hand side, your favourite buss master compressor plug in window opens and maybe Signal tools, showing you the current level in Peak and RMS and you are now in the sweetest place to mix your stems – all the info you want, maximised on screen at the press of a memory locate.

So how? Well, create a memory locate, tied to no “Selection” but with track show hide/track height and a window config attached…

This is the point – combining windows configs and memory locates in your template gives you alot of power when it comes to everyday tasks, navigating your session as a power user who can anticipate the every day tasks of crafting your mix.

Ive seen some power users with templates that include windows configs that open/close a tonne of info in both their edit windows and mix windows saved to common sense buttons on their numeric keypad like 4 and 5 to open and close the edit window, 7 and 8 to do similar with the mix window, 1,2,3, 5 and 9 for project specific views – seeing it in action is definately a “penny drop” moment.

ICON Power feature:

Taking this idea a step further – dig into your ICON preferences to enable “Track Show/Hide: ShowHdn”

This means that tracks that are hidden in the edit window are still accessible on the control surface using your custom fader groups! So you can now mix on tracks on the console, independent of what is visible in the Pro Tools GUI.

Next Blog: An ICON automation feature called AutoJoin, how to mix effortlessly without reaching for the stop button and a mouse when you make a mistake!

So, why Blog?

For some time now, I’ve been working for Digidesign in Australia and New Zealand, demonstrating Pro Tools and helping train our clients. What I see, mostly, are engineers with tighter and tighter deadlines, long working hours and the relatively thankless task of polishing “product” for mass consumption. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, those few lucky individuals who get to craft something they believe in, that they enjoy and that they have time to create but they have the rare gigs not the usual ones!

So, my priority is and has always been, to evangelize the methods, workflows, tips and tricks that enable our pro users to save time. Time saved gives you two choices, either do more work or craft your existing work to a higher quality. Both options are vitally important goals in both the creative and “churn and burn” market sectors.

On this blog, I not only hope to impart some of that information that I’ve gleaned over the years, but also learn from you, the readers – hopefully we can have some stimulating discussion on here and I can pass on that vital feedback to Digidesign.

This blog would not be possible without a few people however. Mentors like SImon Leadley, Andy Stewart, Charles Tetaz, Bruce Emery, Gerry Nixon, Jason DeWilde, Peter Thomas and Chris McKeith amongst many others. At the end of the day, every time I have a meeting with clients, its a two way street – I learn as much from them as they hopefully get from me.

Also, I have to thank my partner Stephanie for being so supportive, patient and understanding of my ongoing problem with being a big geek.

Anyways, so where to start?? Well firstly I’d love to have folks comment here about what they would like to see. My intention was to create some videos, using screen caps and show specific features alongside discussion about how those features can help in day to day professional work. The first idea that came to mind was a feature introduced in 7.3 – Windows configs. We have a pretty good Digi video for that feature (cop out!) so I’ll just post about my experiences in the field and how people are using this feature alongside the old Memory locates, in my next blog entry.

Talk soon,

Brent